Government launches review of mental health, autism, and ADHD
2 mins read
Wednesday 17 December 2025
The government has announced an independent review of mental health, ADHD and autism.
The review is expected to take three to six months and inform implementation of the new NHS Long Term Plan. Separate chapters for children and adults will look at:
- Similarities and differences between mental health conditions, ADHD and autism regarding prevalence, drivers, early intervention, and treatment.
- Co-occurrence of these conditions.
- Inequalities in prevalence, access, and experience.
- Challenges facing clinical services.
- Extent to which diagnosis, ‘medicalisation’ and treatment improve outcomes.
- Differences between the need and disorder for mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism.
- Role of medicalisation of mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism, including the associated risks and benefits.
- Effectiveness of short versus long-term interventions to support recovery and/or improve quality of life.
Contact is concerned this it is happening at a time when there is a growing narrative that children who are neurodivergent or have mental health conditions, are being ‘overdiagnosed’. Contact is urging the government to use the review to build trust with families, not undermine it.
Very real needs
Contact CEO Anna Bird said:
“The independent review must not be used to cast doubt on the very real needs of children with ADHD and autism. Rising demand is not a sign of ‘over‑diagnosis’; it is a sign that we have got better at recognising the signs, which is something to be celebrated. It’s also an indication that many children have gone without support for too long.
“Every child has the right to be seen, heard, and supported. We urge decision‑makers to use this review to build trust with families, not undermine it, and to ensure that children get timely assessments and the help they need to thrive.”
ADHD taskforce review
Professor Peter Fonagy will chair the review team, co-led by Professor Gillian Baird and Professor Sir Simon Wessely. It will draw on the recent independent ADHD taskforce review which found unsupported ADHD costs economy around £17 billion a year because people with ADHD are at higher risk of unemployment, family breakdown, and mental health problems.
